Couple horseback riding on the Quarry Road Trail, Auburn State Recreation Area, Auburn, California
When Jeff, Kim and I dropped down into the American River Canyon via historic highway 49 on Monday, we were shocked and disappointed at the amount of people out and about.
Photographer, Kim Brown photographing the American River, Auburn State Recreation Area, Auburn, CA
What started out to be a day hike with a few friends this past weekend, turned into a informal photo workshop with our friend (and recently retired Photography Instructor at Placer High School in Auburn), Kim Brown.
Snowy shoreline and reflections at Sugar Pine Reservoir, Foresthill, CA
For this shot of Sugar Pine Reservoir, I eliminated the sky. One way to add impact to your photographs is by eliminating the sky, especially when it’s not all that interesting.
For more on this, read my post When in doubt – leave it out!
Sugar Pine Reservoir, Foresthill, California.
Sugar Pine Reservoir is located near China Wall, just a few miles from Foresthill and about 45 minutes from Auburn.
As I mentioned in a previous post, it is one of our favorite places to visit in the summer. We have also visited in the spring. It’s great too, especially if you have a passion for wildflowers. You will find an abundance of them, in many varieties.
But, one thing my husband and I had never done is to visit there in the winter. On our day trip the other day to China Wall, we also checked out Sugar Pine. We couldn’t get in to the boat launch area on that particular day, as it had not been plowed yet. But, we were able to park at the dam on the other side. They keep the main road plowed during the winter, as it is an alternative route to highway 80 from the Foresthill area.
We were glad we took the time to check it out. It’s much prettier in the winter than it is in the summer, which made this a great photo opportunity.
Directions – follow the directions to the China Wall Staging Area. Then turn left at the sign to Sugar Pine Reservor and follow it for about 6-miles. This turn off is about 4-miles before you get to China Wall.
Auburn-Foresthill Road nearing China Wall, Foresthill, California.
Are you planning to head up to China Wall this weekend for a little cross country skiing, snowshoeing or perhaps snowmobiling?
I shot this photo through the windshield, on our way to China Wall last Thursday. I think it does a better job of showing you how much snow there is, than any of the photos in my previous posts on China Wall. Jeff and I have been up there many times in the past and never witnessed conditions as good as this!
How I got the shot
To get this shot, I used a shutter speed of 1/10 sec and a aperture of f 22. The reason I choose this combination of settings was to enable me to use the technique of zooming to show a little motion. You can see my zoom results in the foreground, on both sides of the photo.
You can learn all about zooming in one of my most popular posts “How to create great zooms.”
For more information on China Wall
Check out my previous posts from the last few days, for more information and photos of the China Wall area.
Snow covered ridge at sunset, China Wall, near Foresthill, California.
I was heading back to the truck, when I got a glimpse of the sun setting on this ridge. This is looking northeast of where the two previous China Wall Sunset shots were taken.
China Wall Sunset, near Foresthill, California.
This shot was taken shortly after the previous China Wall Sunset shot. You are looking in the same direction too, but just a little bit south.
Sierra Sunset at China Wall, near Foresthill, CA.
You are looking out over the American River Canyon, with the Sacramento Valley in the middle and the California Coastal Range in the far distance.
I will be posting more photos of China Wall this week.
Carole Andersen X-C skiing at China Wall, near Foresthill, California.
I didn’t take my camera with me while Jeff and I were skiing on Thursday. Skiing and photographing can be quite a challenge for me, especially when it’s my first time out for the season! The hardest part is protecting my camera gear if I fall.
As I mentioned in my post snowshoeing for photos and fitness, it’s a lot easier to snowshoe for photos, than it is to ski for photos. But, I wanted to post a photo of someone cross country skiing at China Wall, so I am using a photo I took on a previous trip of our friend, Carole.
The snow on Thursday looked much like this. Carole is skiing on the Auburn-Foresthill Road, which they groom periodically. But, if the road is not your thing, you can ski on either side of the road on trails and side roads. There is a really nice trail along the ridge, overlooking the American River Canyon. We actually got to make the trail along the ridge for the first time on this trip. It was awesome!
See my last post for directions to the China Wall Staging Area, near Foresthill, California.
Happy cross country skiing and snowshoeing!
Sherri & Cocoa checking out the Sierra view at China Wall, near Foresthill, California.
We just had one of our best cross country ski days ever, this past Thursday. Jeff, Cocoa and IÂ headed for one of our favorite cross country skiing and snowshoe spots in the Sierras, China Wall.
The conditions couldn’t have been better! There was a 4-5 foot base to ski on and only a dozen or so people were there besides us. The weather was about 45 degrees and just perfect for skiing. And the best part was, the parking area at China Wall had just been plowed the day before. We were actually some of the first people to use the area, since the series of snowfalls we just had.
More photos of the China Wall area and Sugar Pine Reservoir to come. Please check back soon!
Directions to China Wall
China Wall is about 45 minutes from Auburn, on the Foresthill Divide, in the Tahoe National Forest. Take the Auburn-Foresthill Road towards Foresthill. After a mile or so, you will cross the famous Foresthill Bridge, which is quite a site to see and an adventure to drive. Keep going on Auburn-Foreshill Road until you can’t go any further. Park at the China Wall Staging Area parking lot.
Tip
If you are going and you don’t own skis or snowshoes, you can rent them in Auburn at the Sierra Outdoor Center.
If you have any questions about recreation at China Wall, or nearby Sugar Pine Reservoir, please feel free to leave a comment, or email me at sherri@sherrimeyer.com.
